


Rumpelstiltskin: The Great and Powerful

by beeeinyourbonnet



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Oz - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-04
Updated: 2013-04-06
Packaged: 2017-12-07 12:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/748329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeeinyourbonnet/pseuds/beeeinyourbonnet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumpelstiltskin, the only wizard in Oz, is sent on a quest on behalf of the widowed queen. On his way, he meets a girl, and what was once a simple task turns into a journey that the wizard never expected.</p>
<p>Rumbelle in Oz AU. Based a lot on Oz the Great and Powerful, but doesn't contain spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Cora was unhappy. The prophecy was clear about there being a girl that would get in her way. It had provided enough clues, enough insight for her to pick out the girl. It had told her what would happen if she let the girl exist. It had even made it clear that killing her would not solve the problem.

She hadn’t thought much of that—except that she would have liked to just rip the girl’s heart out and be done with it—but she was the wicked witch, and it wasn’t like there weren’t other ways for her to get rid of her. Cursing her should do the trick—all Cora had to do was make sure that she was powerless.

She’d thought it would be easy. Find the kingdom, sneak into the palace, find the girl, and curse her. Instead, she found herself laying waste to the tiny borderlands, attracting enough notice to make her nervous. The girl was cursed now, it was true, but the destruction had stirred enough attention that she was afraid someone would be able to link it back to her. It was only a matter of time before the people of Oz realized that the North witch wasn’t the wicked witch, and her biggest fear was that Regina would find out while she was still over the moon with feelings and goodness and whatever it was that young princess-witches were over the moon about.

This mess called for some serious action. Cora was not in the business of having to clean up after herself, since she was usually tidy when it came to mischief-making, but this was a special circumstance. It was time to call in the big knives.

First thing was first—she needed to check on her daughter. As long as Regina was still with her stable boy, she would be oblivious to the outrage surrounding the kingdom. She would tell her all that the North witch had done to the poor borderlands, and then her daughter would agree that they needed to take action.

Then, all she’d have to do would be to kill the stable boy and frame someone else, and Regina would be on her side forever.


	2. The Deal

Rumpelstiltskin did not appreciate being summoned. He kept himself hidden deep within the Dark Mountains of the South because he liked being left to his own devices and not giving everyone and their mother the chance to ask favors of him. His castle was far beyond the safety of the Yellow Brick Road, and it was only the truly brave or the truly desperate who ever ventured down there.

Then, of course, there was Cora, who thought she could just use his mirror to contact him willy-nilly. He kept the hand mirror in a burlap pouch and chose not to remove it despite the witch’s voice. She was displeased at the less than polite treatment, but it didn’t deter her, which piqued Rumpelstiltskin’s interest. When she offered him an item in her collection that he’d coveted for quite some time just to come out to the castle, his deliberating had been all for show. There was no way that he wasn’t going to make the trip down there.

But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to complain about it.

With his flask at one hip and his magical bag at his other, he left for the Emerald City. He could have traveled by bubble, but that felt too cutesy to him, and he had never understood why Cora and her daughter favored enchanted brooms when chairs existed. Instead, Rumpelstiltskin traveled in his red velvet cloak, filling it up with wind that propelled him forward. On foot, the journey to the city would have taken at least a week. By cloak, it took only a day.

The dwarf standing guard at the front door took one look at Rumpelstiltskin’s mottled green face, and opened the doors without preamble. His cloak was longer than the average cloak—to gain more lift—and the gold-trimmed edges dragged along the stone floor, the clink of his boots echoing around the entrance hall. There should have been servants bustling around, but the hall was empty, and Rumpelstiltskin allowed himself a quiet chuckle. Rumors of his arrival must have traveled faster than he had.

There was a simplicity about the Emerald palace that Rumpelstiltskin had found charming on previous visits. All the wealth in Oz was located here, but most of it was locked in a tower, more untouchable than Princess Regina. The part of the palace that people saw and lived in was luxurious, to be sure, but there was none of the garishness that lesser kings like Midas had.

He had no chance to admire it now, though. All of the tapestries and portraits had been draped with black satin, as had the banisters and the chandeliers, in a show of mourning for the murdered King Henry. Rumpelstiltskin had the suspicion that the decorations would not remain as subtle once Cora found a pet king to crown.

“Rumple, you made it.”

Rumpelstiltskin looked to the top of the staircase, pushing the hood of his cloak down as he did. Queen Cora was making her way down like a princess being presented at her first ball, black silk gown pooling by her feet and trailing along the stairs behind her. Her shoulders were wrapped in a black silk shawl that didn’t quite make her neckline modest—which Rumpelstiltskin was sure was for his benefit. A black orchid set with pearls was pinned atop her coiffure, holding down the gauzy black veil that came to just covering her eyes.

“Your majesty.” He swept his arm out in a gaudy bow, giving her enough time to reach the bottom of the stairs before straightening up. “I believe there’s something you owe me.”

Cora clucked her tongue, flicking open her lace-trimmed fan to cover her mouth. “Why so impatient, Rumple? Don’t want to stay for tea?”

“Just to be polite, let’s say I’m too intrigued for tea.” He bared his teeth in a mossy grin. “Besides, you sounded urgent when you—”

There was a shriek followed by a peal of laughter, and both of their heads turned toward the disturbance. Cora lifted her fan higher, but Rumpelstiltskin could still see that the crease in her forehead got deeper and deeper with each shrill laugh.

A pair of doors off to the side swung open, and Princess Regina ran in, flushed and breathless. She was in a powder blue riding outfit with her hair in a tight braid. When she saw Cora, she stopped short, throwing her arms out to stop the momentum of the rest of her body.

“Mother!” She ducked into a cursory curtsy. “Rum—”

A man dressed in the green uniform of the palace staff came through the doors next. He must have heard the commotion and stopped running after Regina, because he was now panting and twisting his cap between his fingers. When he was just a step behind the princess, he stopped and sank into a bow.

“Your majesty. Sir.”

“Regina, where have you been?”

“I had my riding lesson, Mother.” She glanced behind her at the man, who had straightened up.

Cora’s fan hid her mouth, but Rumpelstiltskin could imagine the way her upper lip was curling behind it, holding back the words she wanted to say. An all black pillar, she towered over her daughter.

“Go change, my love, and meet us in the parlor. This concerns you.”

Regina glanced at the stable boy again before she turned to the queen and nodded. “Yes, Mother.” She slunk past her and up the stairs, head bowed. The stable boy looked like he wanted to leave, but it would have been rude to do so without being dismissed by the queen.

“Daniel,” she said, dropping the fan. “Go fetch Grumpy, please, and send him to the south parlor.”

Daniel bowed again. “Yes, your majesty.”

When Rumpelstiltskin was once again alone with Cora, she turned to face him, using her fan to point toward the door. “Shall we?”

He could have been polite and offered his arm, but he had no desire to touch the queen, so he nodded his acquiescence and followed her out.

“Determined to have me to tea?” he asked, keeping pace with her.

“We need to talk in private,” she said.

They reached the south parlor, where Cora perched herself on a peridot settee before gesturing that he should sit as well. He unfastened his cloak and hung it on the rack, but did not move to sit. Instead, he unfurled a hand toward her.

“My price?” he prompted.

Cora smiled, reaching into her shawl. “Of course.” Her hand re-emerged with a pepper shaker, and Rumpelstiltskin couldn’t contain a gleeful hop.

“Powder of life,” he said, snatching it up from her grasp to examine it. “You must need something big to start out with this gem.” He danced toward a high-backed chair, sprawling into it before giving Cora his full attention.

“I do, and I’m prepared to offer you a favor in exchange for your services.”

Rumpelstiltskin’s mouth twitched. Plenty of people tried to pay him with favors, but he was usually unwilling to accept such an abstract payment unless he was the one to suggest it. To have Cora in his debt, however, was something he would give a great deal for.

“Go on.”

“As you and the kingdom know, I loved my husband very much.” She clasped her hands together and bowed her head, but Rumpelstiltskin snorted. She didn’t glare, keeping her head down as she continued. “His murder has been a black mark on Oz since it happened, and now his murderer has attacked the northern Borderlands.”

“Following you so far.”

Cora looked up, mouth set in a hard line. “It has got to stop.”

Rumpelstiltskin leaned back in his chair, threading his fingertips together. “And you want me to murder the murderer, mm?”

“The North Witch,” she said. Before she could say more, however, Princess Regina burst through the door, tailed by a bald dwarf. Her hair was still in its messy braid, but she was now in a modest black gown.

“My love, you’re just in time,” Cora said, gesturing for Regina to take her place next to her on the settee.

“You called, your majesty?” the dwarf asked, standing in the doorway, mouth set in a frown.

“Yes. Rumpelstiltskin has agreed to rid the kingdom of the North Witch,” Cora said. Rumpelstiltskin had not done so, but since he was about to, decided to let it slide.

“Oh, you have?” Regina turned wide brown eyes on him. “You’re going to avenge my father?”

“But of course, dearie.” He smiled, a gesture more disconcerting than comforting, and Regina fidgeted in her seat.

“Grumpy will accompany you to ease your journey,” Cora said. Both wizard and dwarf snapped toward her, frowning.

“That won’t be necessary,” Rumpelstiltskin said, feeling like she was sending Grumpy for reasons that had nothing to do with either of their well-being.

“Oh, but I insist. Grumpy was Henry’s most loyal servant—he’ll be a loyal companion for you.”

Rumpelstiltskin knew that Cora was telling him about five percent of what was actually going on—and most of it was probably a lie—but the draw of her being in his debt was strong enough that he couldn’t be bothered to ask questions. It seemed that Grumpy thought Cora to be genuine, though, and before Rumpelstiltskin could stop him, the dwarf was kneeling at his feet.

“Wizard, I swear my allegiance to you. I will serve you in your journey to avenge the king as faithfully as I served King Henry himself.”

Rumpelstiltskin couldn’t tell if Grumpy averted his eyes out of respect or fear, but it didn’t much matter now—he could feel the magic of his promise swirling between them, binding them together until the quest was complete. He was stuck with the dwarf now, but he supposed that there were worse things to have than someone’s sworn allegiance.

“Well.” He clapped his hands together, giving Regina his unnerving smile again. “Then the deal is struck.”


End file.
